The Ties That Bind Read online

  When she saw him, they sparked to life. "It is too late for me, dear

  friend," she said.

  Qui-Gon woke with a start. He put his hand on his heart. The grief

  that filled him was because of the dream. It was not real. He told his

  beating heart to slow down.

  This grief was temporary. It was already fading as his heartbeat

  slowed. But the vision - the vision was real.

  He swung his legs over the edge of the sleep-couch. Enough, he told

  himself. Enough of trying to convince himself the vision had been more

  about his anxiety about Tahl than anything real. Enough of respecting her

  request to leave her be.

  Enough.

  * * *

  He waited until after the meditation period, when the Council members

  gathered for a short meeting. Then he headed toward the Council chamber.

  He ran into Obi-Wan, who was on his way to the morning meal. His

  Padawan knew immediately that he had a purpose. Obi-Wan looked at him

  questioningly.

  "I'm on my way to the Council Room," Qui-Gon said.

  "Tahl?"

  He nodded.

  "I'll come with you."

  He was about to argue, but he saw the resolute look in Obi-Wan's

  eyes. He kept on walking, and Obi-Wan swung into step beside him.

  This time, Qui-Gon took the time to request permission to enter. He

  needed the Council on his side. It was granted.

  He strode into the room, suddenly glad to have Obi-Wan with him.

  "I wish to inform the Council that I am following Tahl to New

  Apsolon," he said without preliminaries.

  "What is the reason for this action?" Mace Windu asked. He knitted

  his long fingers together and frowned at Qui-Gon.

  "Tahl promised to keep in contact with the Council. She has not. It

  has been nearly three weeks since she left. She said she would be back in

  under a week."

  "Jedi Knights are not required to conform to a schedule," Mace Windu

  said. "And missions reveal their own time frame. The Council members are

  not concerned."

  "But I am," Qui-Gon stated firmly. "Complete this mission alone, Tahl

  wanted," Yoda said. "Best it is for her, we think."

  "I have tried to honor her wishes," Qui-Gon said. "I feel that there

  is danger there. I have seen it."

  "A vision?" Yoda asked. "Know you do that visions can lead us astray

  as well as guide us."

  "This one must guide me," Qui-Gon said.

  "You know that secrecy is crucial to Tahl's mission," Mace Windu

  said. "She could have already started her journey. She could have the twins

  with her. We will wait for her next communication."

  "I will not," Qui-Gon said.

  Yoda exchanged a glance with Mace Windu. It was clear they were

  surprised and displeased.

  "Noted we have your concern for Tahl over the years since she was

  blinded," Yoda said. "Natural, it is. But good for her, it is not. Find her

  own way, she must."

  "I am going," Qui-Gon insisted.

  "Qui-Gon," Mace Windu warned, "you are not listening to our counsel.

  It is clear that you made a decision and will not be swayed. It is not like

  you to close your mind, nor is it like a Jedi."

  Qui-Gon said nothing. He would not argue with Mace Windu. But he

  would not abandon his plan.

  "You must open your mind to other opinions. We sit here on the

  Council because our vision is a wider one than that of any individual Jedi.

  "

  Qui-Gon stirred impatiently. "I am wasting time," he said.

  Obi-Wan looked at him, startled. Qui-Gon knew he had been rude, but

  he was on fire to leave the Temple. No matter what the Council said, he was

  going.

  Mace Windu looked thunderous. "Counsel with us is wasting your time?"

  He pointed his finger at Qui-Gon. "Know this, Qui-Gon Jinn. If you leave to

  find Tahl, you do it against our wishes and direction."

  It was the strongest condemnation Mace Windu could give, short of

  forbidding it. Qui-Gon nodded curtly. He turned and left the chamber,

  feeling Obi-Wan at his heels.

  He did not stop but stepped immediately on the turbolift. Obi-Wan had

  to jump to accompany him.

  "I have never seen you act so impolite," Obi-Wan said, running both

  hands through his hair. "You defied Mace Windu!"

  The turbolift opened. Qui-Gon strode out.

  "Qui-Gon, wait. Can't you talk to me?"

  He stopped and turned. His Padawan's face was full of worry. He could

  see how torn he was. Obi-Wan did not understand how a vision could touch

  you so deeply that it was as though the real world dropped away and you

  were living in another reality. Qui-Gon had to get to Tahl. He had to see

  her, grasp her hands, look into her face. He had to know she was alive.

  "You are going to New Apsolon today?" Obi-Wan asked.

  "As soon as I can arrange transport."

  "Then I will get my survival pack and meet you at the landing

  platform."

  Qui-Gon took a breath to compose himself. "No, Padawan," he said as

  gently as he could. "You must remain behind. I cannot ask you to defy the

  Council on my behalf."

  "You are not asking me," Obi-Wan said. "There are reasons to stay. I

  will not be gone long."

  "That is what Tahl said."

  Qui-Gon sighed. "Unlike Tahl, I will remain in touch with you. I will

  call for you if I need you." He held Obi-Wan's gaze. "You know that I will.

  "

  Obi-Wan's gaze did not falter. Qui-Gon could see that his Padawan did

  not understand. Yet he would not back down.

  "My place is by your side," Obi-Wan said. Qui-Gon took a deep breath.

  "Then let us depart."

  CHAPTER 4

  Before landing on New Apsolon, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan changed from their

  Jedi tunics into the common street wear of travelers, hooded short robes of

  dark cloth with leather trousers tucked into boots. Qui-Gon would be

  careful to wear his hood while on the planet. He did not think many would

  remember him, but he would take no chances.

  They set down their craft at a landing pad on the outskirts of the

  capital city, also called New Apsolon. The city was a large one, spread out

  over many kilometers. The rest of the small planet was devoted to its

  second-largest industry, harvesting the gray stone that was used in most of

  the buildings. There were a few small cities and villages, but the majority

  of the population lived in the teeming capital city.

  They paid the owner to hold the transport, then took a turbolift to

  the surface of the planet.

  They arrived in the Worker Sector of the city. The buildings were no

  taller than six stories, many built cheaply of durasteel. Others were built

  of native gray stone with small windows and rounded roofs. Qui-Gon

  recognized the style as one for those which sometimes lacked heat in

  winter. Ahead they could see the tall elegant buildings of the Civilized

  Sector. Although the Worker Sector was cleaner and better maintained than

  Qui-Gon remembered, its poverty was in marked contrast to the gleaming city

  they could glimpse ahead.

  New Apsolon did not show many of the effects of the civil

  disturbances that had rocke
d the government six years before. Qui-Gon had

  visited worlds that had destroyed their cities through years of conflict.

  He had seen evidence of ruin - buildings that had been transformed into

  rubble, formerly blooming squares now mere patches of dirt. New Apsolon

  showed none of this destruction. The Civilized Sector still gleamed. The

  city had always been a tech center, and the buildings were tall, impressive

  structures. Any evidence of street fighting had long since been removed.

  One thing Qui-Gon did not remember from his last visit was the

  presence of slender glass columns about his own height, lit from within.

  The columns appeared on street corners or in public squares. Sometimes they

  were arranged in groups; occasionally they stood alone. Some were glowing

  white, some ice-blue.

  "What do you think they are?" Obi-Wan asked. "They don't seem to have

  any function,"

  Qui-Gon recognized a street crossing. "This is where the energy wall

  to the Civilized Sector used to be." The largest cluster they'd seen yet of

  the glowing columns stood ahead in a small plaza. "Let's take a closer look

  at those columns."

  The columns were arranged only a few centimeters apart. Together,

  they formed a tight glowing cube. Near the front of the cube Qui-Gon saw a

  polished black slab with words chiseled in its smooth surface.

  HERE WE COMMEMORATE OUR FELLOW CITIZENS, WORKERS ALL, FORTY IN

  NUMBER, WHO WERE SLAIN BY THE ABSOLUTE FORCES WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BREACH

  THE ENERGY WALL.

  Obi-Wan counted the columns. "There are forty columns. One for each

  Worker. These are memorials."

  "Every spot where a Worker died is commemorated," Qui-Gon guessed.

  The two Jedi gazed at the glowing columns. Now they seemed to take on

  the presence of living beings. Qui-Gon could imagine the forty Workers,

  striding toward the energy wall. Perhaps their arms had been linked

  together.

  "I remember on our mission to Melida/Daan how shocked I was at the

  devastation in the city," Obi-Wan said. "Every ruin held so much sadness.

  You could see the lives lost and disrupted. This feels just as terrible,

  somehow. The city has not been touched, yet so many beings are gone. And

  life continues to go on around them." Obi-Wan touched the glass. "It is

  good to see what has been lost."

  "Yes, I feel that, too." Qui-Gon also felt moved by the mute

  testimony of the standing columns.

  They walked on, past the site of the old energy wall. The checkpoint

  was still standing, a security booth covered in armor. Across the front

  someone had scrawled ROAN KILLS.

  As they walked into the Civilized Sector, they saw more evidence of

  the same graffiti. ROAN MUST GO read some. EWANE LIVES ROAN MUST DIE read

  others.

  Workers in coveralls were busy trying to scrub the graffiti off the

  polished stone.

  "There is unrest here below the surface," Qui-Gon said.

  "I sense it," Obi-Wan agreed. "The people are not easy in their

  minds."

  The streets became more crowded, the difference between the Civilized

  and the Workers perfectly clear. The Civilized had all the trappings of

  wealth - fine clothes and gleaming airspeeders. Since it was the middle of

  the day, the rich were on the streets, talking in small groups or lingering

  in the opulent cafes that lined the broad boulevard. The Workers were

  dressed in plain tunics and trousers and seemed to be hurrying to fulfill

  duties, not strolling and enjoying the day.

  "We must report for a security check," Qui-Gon said. "It is required

  of all visitors. Just a formality, but perhaps we can learn something."

  The government buildings were clustered in one grand neighborhood,

  all built around a series of interlocking large squares filled with flowers

  and benches. Unlike the gleaming tall structures around them, the buildings

  were not very tall and were built with more ornamentation, columns and

  ledges and sweeping grand staircases leading up to gleaming metal doors.

  Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were welcomed cordially at the front desk of the

  Administration Services Building, then led to the office of the Chief

  Security Controller. He was a short, balding man with a powerful chest and

  shoulders. He stood and nodded.

  "I am Balog, your official greeter. Welcome to New Apsolon. We thank

  you for obeying our check-in procedures promptly. May I ask the purpose of

  your visit?"

  "We have heard of the pleasures of New Apsolon," Qui-Gon said. "We

  are here as tourists."

  Balog nodded. "Tourism has not been forbidden... yet. But I must warn

  you that the government is close to issuing an official warning to all who

  plan to travel here. New Apsolon is now a dangerous place for any

  foreigners. Our leader is under siege, and there is unrest here. Tempers

  are high. The society is volatile. I cannot guarantee your safety."

  "We are not looking for guarantees," Qui-Gon said. "We do not plan to

  stay long, and we will be careful."

  Balog nodded. "Then enjoy your stay."

  Qui-Gon started toward the door, then pretended to hesitate. "You

  mention that your leader is under siege. We have heard that the former

  leader was assassinated. Do you feel that Roan is in danger as well?"

  "There are some who believe that he placed the order for the death of

  Ewane," Balog said. "Of course this is false. Yet that is where the danger

  lies. These people want revenge. We have it under control. Ewane was a

  great man, but Roan is as well. He is a Civilized with great wealth, yet

  even before the bloodless revolution he defied members of his party to

  champion the Workers. I am an example of that. Roan was the one to raise me

  to this position. He has done the same for others. Roan has support among

  the Workers. Those who suspect him of murder are a small but vocal

  minority."

  "Ewane's daughters are in hiding, are they not?"

  Balog looked surprised. "Not at all. They were taken in by Roan after

  their father's death. They are living in the official residence, two blocks

  away."

  CHAPTER 5

  Obi-Wan looked at his Master as they left the security building. He

  could see that Qui-Gon was worried. If the twins were safe, why did they

  summon Tahl?

  "Do you think the twins don't want anyone on Apsolon to know that

  they are afraid?"

  "Most likely," Qui-Gon said. "Still, it is odd that they lied about

  being in hiding. I think it's time we saw them."

  They asked a passerby for directions. Everyone knew where Roan's

  residence was. It was a gracious building built of the same mellow gray

  stone, not far away. Qui-Gon threw back his hood as he entered. He knew he

  would have to give his true identity in order to be allowed to see the

  twins.

  At the security checkpoint, the screen flashed blue and a voice asked

  for his name. Qui-Gon gave it, explaining that he was friend of Eritha and

  Alani.

  "Step forward for a retinal scan."

  Qui-Gon, then Obi-Wan, did so. Qui-Gon didn't object. He was glad to

  see that the security was tight.

&n
bsp; At last the door opened and the two were ushered into the private

  quarters of the residence. There, two young women waited in a brightly

  furnished room with a cheerful fire. They were identical, with long,

  braided blond hair and narrow faces enlivened by bright dark eyes. They

  both broke into dazzling smiles when they saw Qui-Gon.

  "Qui-Gon!" they cried together, and hurried toward him.

  Qui-Gon bowed. "I was not sure you would remember me."

  "Of course we do." Qui-Gon was not sure which one had spoken. Six